Lullaby
by darlingsybil
Summary: “I’m Charles Bass and I need to report a missing child…my daughter.” CB
1. Sunshine

**Title:** Lullaby  
**Pairing:** Chuck/Blair; futurefic  
**Summary: **"I'm Charles Bass and I need to report a missing child…my daughter."  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gossip Girl.  
**A/N: **Yep, new story. Definitely different to 'Cross My Heart', but hopefully you'll enjoy it. The next chapters should be longer.  
Reviews are appreciated. Tell me what you think and if anything's confusing :)  
**Update: **This used to be a prologue, but now it's Chapter 1.

* * *

_you are my sunshine, my only sunshine_

Chuck Bass knows he should've called the police an hour ago, but every time he picks up the receiver, he simply slams it back down again.

There's a reason why he hasn't called yet.

It's because the minute he calls he'll have to admit that there is a chance she's really missing. That he'll never get to see her smiling face or hold her in his arms again.

He wants – needs – Blair to come bursting through his office door with his little sunshine in her arms, but with every second that passes by the thought slowly drifts away from his mind.

Truth is, he's afraid.

Yes, _the_ Charles Bass is afraid. He's afraid that in the next few seconds Blair will, in fact, come bursting through his office with tears streaming down her broken face. And he doesn't know if he can handle that.

He doesn't know if he's strong enough to face losing the two most important people in his life in one day.

He should really call.

* * *

_you make me happy when skies are grey_

He looks outside his office window, ignoring the magnificent Manhattan landscape and instead focuses his attention on the dull, grey sky that blankets the city in melancholy.

It's as if Mother Nature is mirroring his mood or simply giving him a break because he knows that if he saw the city sprinkled with sunlight, he'd break down and cry.

Chuck Bass isn't usually one for emotion but when it comes to _her_, he'll evoke any emotion at free will because she is the fire in his soul that keeps him breathing that extra second.

And with her gone, he knows he'll simply choke.

And he's not sure even that Blair will be able to save him.

Because, deep down, he knows that Blair would be choking too.

* * *

_you'll never know, dear, how much I love you_

It kills him that if she truly is gone, then his last words to her weren't 'I love you'. Instead his last words were merely, "Be a good girl."

If he finds her – no, _when_ he finds her, he'll make sure to tell her every night as he tucks her into bed that he loves her. That he and Blair love her with all their hearts. It'll be the last thing she hears before she drifts off to the land of Nod, but at least she'll know.

With trembling hands, he _finally_ picks up the phone and says to himself, "This is it". Because with every second he wastes pondering the 'what ifs', is a second he loses trying to find her.

He furiously dials the number and waits impatiently as someone picks up. Ignoring their formalities, he cuts them off and with a clear, but urgent voice, he says the words that no parent ever wants to say, "I'm Charles Bass and I need to report a missing child…my daughter."

_please don't take my sunshine away_

* * *


	2. Fall Sweet Dreams

**Title:** Lullaby  
**Pairing:** Chuck/Blair; futurefic  
**Summary: **"I'm Charles Bass and I need to report a missing child…my daughter."  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gossip Girl.  
**A/N: **Woooo, so who else thought that I'd never update? Well, I for one actually didn't think I would. Honestly, my inspiration for this kinda died a while ago, but LUCKILY it decided to come back. THANKS and I mean THANKS to all the people who replied and kept asking if I was going to update...you guys were pretty much the ones to motivate me. And a big thank you to Sharon for giving me some really good advice a while ago about this story and another thanks to Natalia. :) Oh and I made the prologue chapter one, btw. So this is chapter 2.

* * *

_sleep, baby, sleep  
your father tends the sheep_

It takes the police 17 minutes and 58 seconds to reach the Palace Hotel.

When they arrive at the Bass suite, Dan has to pull Chuck away from the door so that he doesn't attack the two officers.

"What the hell took you so long?" Chuck scathes, jerking his arm out of Dan's grip. One of the officers, a man tall enough to nearly bump into the top of the doorway, lifts his hat off his head to reveal thin graying hair, says with sincerity, "I'm sorry…Mr Bass, I presume?"

"Damn straight, I'm Mr Bass. Now, you better find my daughter or else I'll sue your goddamn ass for incompetence and then I'll sue you again for negligence!" Chuck threatens, shooting daggers at the policemen. The other officer – a man who looks no older than Chuck – flinches, but his partner keeps his cool, staring straight at a man crumbling inside.

"Mr Bass, I'm sorry for what's happened but right now we have to stick to protocol and ask you some questions. I'm Inspector DeGraw and this is Officer Holden," DeGraw says, motioning towards his scared partner.

Chuck takes a deep breath but his anger doesn't seem to die. In fact, it's burning inside of him, engulfing his every thought, every breath, his every action. He glares at the men before walking into the lounge room where he drops onto the couch, weariness taking over his body.

"Just, um, follow him in there," Dan says, offering them a sympathetic smile. They nod their heads and trail into the living room where Chuck has his head in his hands.

"Mr Bass, we need to ask you some questions," DeGraw says, taking a seat on the 'comfortable' navy canapé. He squishes and squirms till he finds the right spot and opens up his briefcase and takes a notepad and tape recorder out. Holden decides to stand.

Chuck says nothing and rubs his forehead. He has a migraine.

"Chuck…" Dan mumbles, but Chuck cuts him off when he says sharply, "Shoot."

DeGraw clears his throat and begins.

"Name?"

"Charles Bass."

"I meant of your daughter."

"You could've said that," Chuck grumbles. DeGraw's wise enough to know not to open his mouth and just continue.

"Name of _child_?"

"Belle. Belle Bass."

"Age?"

"Four, turns five in a month."

"Birth date?"

"May 4, 2011."

"What is your current marital status?"

"Married _happily_ to Blair Bass, Belle's mother," Chuck says, stressing the word 'happily' before DeGraw makes any assumptions about him and Blair.

"And when did you first discover that Belle was missing?" DeGraw asks. He's never encountered the Bass family before, but the wild tales he's heard from colleagues are enough to remind him to tread lightly.

Chuck remains silent and Dan decides to take it from here. "Um, actually, I was the first one to realise that she was missing."

Holden nods him head, prompting Dan to continue.

* * *

_"Hey, kiddo!" Dan said, sneaking up behind his son and grabbing him into his arms. "You ready to go home, Seb?"_

_Sebastian Rufus Humphrey acted surprised, but he couldn't help but frown at the empty space next to him. Noticing this instantly, Dan suddenly realised that something - or more like someone – wasn't standing next to his son like she usual was with her dress spotlessly cleaned (despite a full day a pre-school) and a silk headband placed in her hair._

_"Seb, where's Belle?" Dan asked, the anxiety growing in him, knowing that Dorota nor Blair would've been able to pick her up considering they were with Serena, planning some lavish UES gathering._

_Seb shrugged his shoulders and looked straight at his school, ignoring his father, which only added to Dan's concern._

_"Did Uncle Chuck pick her up? Or Grandpa Bart? Maybe Granny Lily?" Dan listed all the names he could possibly think of, but he knew that there was no point. He would've been the first person that Blair or Chuck would've call to pick up Belle, considering their children went to the same school. "Seb…where is she?"_

_Burying his face into Dan's shoulder, Seb muffled jumbled words that Dan couldn't understand._

_"Seb, you need to speak slower, I can't understand what you're saying," Dan said softly, ruffling Seb's light coloured hair as his eyes wandered around the street, surveying the people around him and praying he would spot the tiny, impish girl who was the very essence of her mother. He felt his son's tears sift through his cotton shirt and finally, in a scared, timid voice, Seb said, "She's gone, Daddy. The big man took her."_

* * *

"Then what happened, Mr, erm – "

"Oh, um, Dan. Dan Humphrey," Dan says, slightly flabbergasted as DeGraw nods his head and writes a note on his pad.

"And how do you know Mr and Mrs Bass?"

"Oh, well, that's a long story. Um, at first, I never actually really hung out with them. You see, back then, Blair was dating our friend Nate, which is funny because I never thought he'd be my friend – "

"For god's sake, he's married to my sister," Chuck butts in, clearly annoyed at Dan's constant rambling. True they were now 'mutually acquainted', but half the time Chuck still considered Dan to be that same boy from Brooklyn all those years ago.

"Ah," DeGraw says, finally beginning to connect the pieces in this seemingly never-ending puzzle. "Mr Humphrey can you _quickly_ sum up what happened after your son told you that Belle had been taken?"

"Well, at first, I asked the teacher supervising the kids after school whether she had seen Belle walk off with someone, but all she said to me was that she hadn't seen Belle for about twenty minutes and she assumed she had been picked up already. Then I asked around some of the parents who were picking up their children from school and none of them had seen Belle."

"Before you continue, can I ask something?" Holden interrupts, breaking out of his silence to the surprise of the rest of the men in the room. He keeps his eyes focused on the two men in front of him and says firmly, "Who was supposed to pick Belle up today from school?"

The room falls silent.

Dan fiddles with his fingers and closes his eyes, pretending he hadn't had heard the question.

DeGraw glances from his partner before following Holden's gaze, finally understanding why he found that question essential.

Holden knows he's found another jigsaw piece as he strongly repeats the question.

And with guilty eyes that reveal the inner torment of a lost father, Chuck replies, "Me."

* * *

_your mother shakes the dreamland tree  
and from it fall sweet dreams for thee  
sleep, baby, sleep_

Every Wednesday, Belle goes to ballet.

It's Tuesday and Blair calls to tell them that Belle won't be able to attend for a while. The lady who answers asks for how long and Blair instantly hangs up.

She sits on her daughter's bed and ignores the world outside the pink walls. She ignores the constant ring of her mobile phone. She ignores Serena's frantic attempts for her to open the door. But what she can't ignore is the breaking sound of her heart as she picks up Belle's favourite doll and holds it close to her chest.

Blair feels the first fiery teardrop run down her face and wipes it away with the back of her hand.

Blair Waldorf doesn't cry, but Blair Bass does, ever since the birth of her daughter.

She just doesn't let people know.

Placing the doll back to its position, Blair stands up and straightens her skirt. She gazes wistfully around the room, fragments of her daughter's existence spread around.

And it scares her that by losing her daughter, she'll lose herself.

Because without Belle Bass, Blair's life will never be complete again.

By as she prepares to open the door, she realises that she's not ready to leave the haven that surrounds her.

Because if she goes downstairs with Serena, then she'll have to face the man who's responsible for breaking her. And she curses fate for also making him the love of her life.

* * *

_"Hey Dan, I knew you couldn't get enough of me" Serena said, momentarily surprised by her husband's unexpected phone call. Blair merely rolled her eyes and pointed at the paperwork in her hands._

_"Tell Cabbage Patch we've got a deadline," Blair hissed, but was cut off Serena's hand as her smile disappeared and was instead replaced by a look of confusion and worry. "Is everything alright, S?"_

_Serena didn't say anything and rubbed her forehead, silent from whatever Dan was telling her._

_"Oh my god, S, is it Seb?" Blair asked, concerned that something may have happened to her godson but as Serena hung up and avoided her gaze, she knew that this was something bigger. "S…what is it?"_

_"Blair," Serena started, but still at a loss for words, "who was supposed to pick up Belle today?"_

_"Chuck was, why?" Blair stared at her friend, gripping onto her pen, tighter than she intended. Whatever Dan had told Serena obviously had something to do with Chuck or Belle and when it came to them two, Blair was ready to do anything. Serena sighed and took Blair's hand into hers, giving it a small squeeze before saying softly, "Blair, honey, um, I don't-I don't know how to tell you this, but, um…Blair, Belle's gone missing."_

* * *

Blair sinks to the ground, her back against the hard cold door.

She can't face the reality of losing her daughter, so she sits and doesn't think. She just stares.

* * *


	3. Lavender's Blue

**Title:** Lullaby  
**Pairing:** Chuck/Blair; futurefic  
**Summary: **"I'm Charles Bass and I need to report a missing child…my daughter."  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gossip Girl.  
**A/N:** Hehe, okay, so this was definitely unexpected. At first, I didn't know when I was going to update, but then last weekend, I suddenly felt this urge to write this chapter. Hopefully you guys enjoy it and a very big thank you to everyone who left reviews! :) Thanks to Nat!

* * *

_Lavender's blue, dilly dilly,  
Lavender's green  
when you are King, dilly dilly,  
I shall be Queen_

"She won't come down," Serena states as she enters the room full of men, holding onto Seb's hand tightly. "Oh hello. I'm Serena Humphrey."

"Inspector DeGraw and this is Officer Holden," DeGraw introduces. He offers her his seat, but she declines politely, instead choosing to sit on the armrest, next to her husband. She throws a glance towards her stepbrother and finds him staring into the unknown, his chocolate eyes shadowed with darkness. It scares her that he's scared because he's meant to be the one with no knowledge of the word 'fear'. Seb lets go of her hands and walks over to his father, climbing into his lap with a tired face.

"Daddy," he says softly to his father, "where's Belle?" and despite his efforts for only his father to hear, the room grows silent and Seb looks up at his mother with his bright blue eyes, confused as to what he had said wrong.

Serena bites her lip and Dan cringes. Chuck falls out of his blank state and comes crashing back to reality, facing Seb with blood shot eyes.

"She's gone," Chuck mutters to the little boy as he stands up from his seat and walks away, disappearing onto the balcony.

"Seb, honey," Serena says softly, giving her son a tiny smile, "how about you and daddy go to the kitchen and I'll make you a sandwich?"

Seb nods his head and Dan follows cue, taking Seb into his arms and carrying him out of the room, after giving his wife a concerned smile.

"Listen Inspector, my brother and Blair ... they need to be alone right now. It's just their way. If there's any questions or anything you need done, I'm probably your next best option," Serena says, sighing softly as she looks down at her fumbling fingers.

"Thank you, Mrs Humphrey. Your generosity is appreciated. Currently we do have men at the scene of the crime, and an AMBER alert has been released to all police radios alerting them of Belle's disappearance. It would help if you provided us with a photograph at least of Blair, so that we may send out pictures to the media -"

"My daughter will not be the centre of a media circus."

Serena, DeGraw and Holden turn their heads toward the entrance of the living room and find a composed looking Blair Waldorf Bass, showing none of the emotions she released earlier. She moves towards Serena who shifts to the side in order for Blair to sit down and repeats again in a defiant tone, "My daughter will _not_ be the media's newest exploit."

"Mrs Bass, to be honest, I highly recommend against that," DeGraw starts and despite the glaring from Serena, he continues on, "the media are one of the principle outlets that we use to help find missing children. A large majority of our cases are solved with the media's help."

"I don't want my daughter's face to be released. As far as I'm concerned, this matter is private. She doesn't need to be remembered as 'the girl who was taken'," Blair says firmly, looking DeGraw straight in the eye with a stare that Bart Bass would be proud of. Serena takes Blair's hand into her own and utters, "B listen, I know you're scared, but you should really listen to the Inspector."

"No Serena! Belle is coming back! She'll be back. She'll be back before tonight. You'll see," Blair says hysterically. "She doesn't need the media. She'll be back!"

Serena wraps her arms around Blair and can feel her sob softly against her chest. She realises that Blair's gone into her state of denial and for once, she hopes Blair's right. If Seb had been taken, Serena doesn't know what she would do. She laughs mentally when she figures out that she'd be in the same condition as Blair and she holds onto her friend tighter, hoping to comfort her to the best of her ability.

No one hears the glass door slide open during Blair's rant and when Chuck enters into the room, he's taken back to see his wife in his sister's arms. He tries to keep his presence unknown as he and the officers watch Serena console Blair, but it doesn't take long for Holden to turn his head and give Chuck a harsh look. He coughs 'indiscreetly' and Chuck almost kills the sorry bastard when suddenly he finds himself staring into a pair of broken eyes, reminiscent of his own.

They don't say a thing to each other. They just stare. And through their eyes, they reveal everything that they're feeling, everything that they're scared to admit. He knows that she's scared and she knows that he's hurting. They can't deny the fact that they believe that they're both at fault, but their stupid egos refuse to let them express it. He makes the first move and steps towards her, but she stiffens and breaks eye contact with him, directing her attention towards DeGraw. Chuck takes this as a hint. It's no surprise that Blair would act this way. In fact, if she hadn't, he would've thought that something was wrong with her. It just upsets him that after all their years spent together, she still manages to break him with a single stare. He moves towards the wall and Serena gives him a concerned look that he brushes off immediately. He doesn't need pity; he just needs his daughter back.

"Mrs Bass," DeGraw interjects, breaking the silence. "I do have to urge you to reconsider your decision. A picture in the media will increase our chances of finding your daughter."

DeGraw's words shock Chuck and he stands up straighter, looking at the man like he would an insect. "Wait, what are you talking about?" Chuck says confused, but seemingly knowing where this conversation is leading. Everyone in the room, except for Holden looks away from Chuck and he repeats again, "What is going on?"

"Mr Bass, your wife is refusing to release any photos of Belle to the media," Holden states, and even though he knows that he's pitting the Bass' against one another, it's for the best.

Chuck understands completely and stares at his wife, not understanding what's going on in her head. Despite her animosity towards him, he talks to her, saying, almost begging, "Blair, they need the photos."

Blair seems oblivious to his words and ignores him, which merely annoys him more. He knows she's aching, he knows she thinks its his fault, but right now, he couldn't care less. He's doing everything that he can to find their daughter and she's merely acting like a selfish queen.

"Blair, they _need_ the photos," he says again, a harsher tone present in his voice that goes noticed by Serena and the other men.

Blair turns her head slowly towards her husband, fury and anger highlighted in her dark eyes and says firmly, "No, _Charles._"

He can't take this anymore. Mother may know best, but in this case, father's doing what's right. Chuck walks towards DeGraw without so much as a backward glance to Blair and pulls his wallet out of his pocket. He flips it open and pauses when his gaze drops upon a photo of his angel staring back at him with Blair's eyes. The resemblence between his daughter and her mother is overwhelming and for a moment, he's tempted to just forget about the photo and follow Blair's instruction. But no. He can't, he won't. This is about his daughter and trying to get her back into his arms. For once, he's going to do things right.

He slips the photo out of his wallet and hands it to DeGraw, ignoring Blair's piercing glare and Serena's short intake of breath.

"Will this do?" he says, and DeGraw nods his head approvingly. Chuck nods too and knows that he's stepped across Blair's tolerance line, but he's prepared. He turns around and their eyes meet, and the first thing that crosses his mind is that this is the last thing he needs right now, especially from her.

"Blair, I had to. It's the only way he way do his job," Chuck says, trying to convey his point with calm eyes. Blair stands up from her seat and tramps towards him, a death sentence written in her cold expression.

"You mean unlike how you did yours," she throws at him harshly before walking out of the room, a heavy tension remaining in the room. If Chuck was hurting before, he's dying now. Her words slice through him and the guilt that he's feeling would easily send any innocent man to the pits of hell.

He drops into Blair's empty seat next to Serena and once again, drops his head into his hand. It scares him that all it took was three hours for his family and marriage to crumble. It scares him that he doesn't know where his daughter is or what's happening to her. He gulps back tears when he thinks of what her kidnappers could be doing to her, and he clenches his fists, determined to find the sorry bastards and kill them … and what scares him the most, is that he'll have no hesitation to do so.

DeGraw examines the picture of Belle Bass in his hands and can easily see her resemblance to her parents with her mother's sparkling amber eyes and her father's impish smirk. He smiles at the little girl as she does to him in her pink tutu and immediately wishes – hopes – that they find her _soon_. As he tears his gaze away from the photo, he suddenly realises that there are more photos of the once happy Bass family hanging around the room. Nothing but genuine smiles crowd around him, but remembering Chuck and Blair's breakdown, he begins to realise that life isn't perfect for the Upper East Side royalty.

_Who told you so, dilly dilly,  
Who told you so?  
'Twas my own heart, dilly dilly,  
That told me so_

* * *


End file.
